Minister issues orders after conducting surprise inspection

Irked by mounds of garbage lying uncleared in many areas, city in-charge Minister R. Ramalinga Reddy has directed Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner M. Lakshminarayan to suspend the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) of Shantinagar sub-division, and to repatriate four engineers to the their parent department (Public Works Department).

The Minister, accompanied by Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana and BBMP officials, went on a surprise inspection in many localities in the BBMP’s East Zone on Tuesday morning. At Austin Town in Agaram ward, meat waste was found dumped in the storm-water drain that was emanating a foul odour.

Mounds of garbage lay uncleared outside the BBMP school in Yerappa Garden in Austin Town, while waste was being dumped for collection inside a playground at Neelasandra. Debris had been dumped on the footpath on both sides of Neelasandra Main Road in Anepalya. Garbage was also found dumped in the storm-water drain on 7th Main, HAL 2nd Stage in Indiranagar, and Kamaraj Road.

“The officials have not followed the directions issued earlier this month to ensure that garbage is picked up and debris is cleared from roadsides and footpaths regularly. Though the garbage has not been lifted, the BBMP is releasing the contractors’ bills,” Mr. Reddy said.

Mr. Lakshminarayan told reporters that tenders for clearing silt from 32 drains had been floated. The BBMP had also identified 25 sensitive points, where blockages were common, and silt would be removed at these points this week. “This year, we have cleared silt from 400 km of drains and improved 40 km of drains. Removal of silt from ‘problematic’ drains will be taken up, and this will help reduce flooding,” he added.